The present invention relates to a distributed control system with function-controlling units which are connected or connectable to a connection via internal or external communication elements allocated thereto. The units can communicate with one another by means of these communication elements or by means of message transmissions. The units obtain access to the connection one at a tee and in a queue order which is dependent on the priority of the messages in the control system and/or how the messages occur at the connection. One or more units can be set for reception of messages with predetermined priorities. A unit which is to transmit over the connection having a message with a higher priority gets at least a certain precedence to access the connection over a unit with a lower message priority. The units can also be addressed with the message priorities. One or more first statements (information items, data and so forth) on control, measurement and/or sensing and so forth are attached to the respective message. The control system is set up with a first affiliation allocation of the first statements to the different messages which means that said first statements also become mutually prioritised in the system.